Unit 1

Question 1

what ethics is NOT

Answer 1

• what is legal
• etiquette
• religion
• art/aesthetics
• mere preference

Question 2

baby doe law

Answer 2

requirement for hospitals and physicians to provide maximum care to any impaired infant

Question 3

straw man

Answer 3

1) arguer distorts opponent’s argument to easily attack it
2) demolishes distorted argument
3) concludes opponent’s real argument is demolished

Question 4

ad hominem

Answer 4

claim/argument rejected b/c of irrelevant fact about person presenting the argument

Question 5

hasty generalization

Answer 5

general conclusion drawn from atypical specific cases

Question 6

slippery slope

Answer 6

variety of false cause fallacy– conclusion of argument rests upon an alleged chain reaction which doesn’t exist

Question 7

appeal t unqualified authority

Answer 7

arguer cites testimony of unqualified authority to support conclusion

Question 8

passive euthanasia (baby doe)

Answer 8

withholding treatment– valid refusal of life sustaining treatment

Question 9

active euthanasia (baby theresa, jodi& mary, tracy latimer)

Answer 9

actively ending the life of terminally ill patient

Question 10

impartiality

Answer 10

not prejudice towards or against any particular side; fair; unbiased

Question 11

morality is he effort to guide one’s conduct by reason- to do what there are the best reasons for doing-while giving equal weight to interests of each individual

Answer 11

minimum conception of morality

Question 12

operated on strict natural laws,

all human action is caused by series of causes leading to present (not due to free will)

Answer 12

determinism

Question 13

if there is no free will, there is no condemnation. if people are not free to choose, there is no room for morality.

Answer 13

moral culpability

Question 14

assumes our actions are just reflex reactions–product of environmental conditioning (nurture)

Answer 14

behavioral determinism

Question 15

actions determined by genetic makeup (nature)

Answer 15

psychological determinism

Question 16

theory that humans are inherently selfish–solely concerned with own being

Answer 16

psychological egoism

Question 17

theory that humans have freedom of choice

Answer 17

free will

Question 18

1) different cultures have different moral codes
2) therefore, there is no objective truth in morality. right & wrong are only matters of opinion which vary from culture to culture

Answer 18

cultural differences argument

Question 19

claim 1 of cultural relativism

Answer 19

1)different societies have different moral codes

Question 20

claim 2 cultural relativism

Answer 20

2) the moral code of a society determines what is right within that society

Question 21

claim 3 of cultural relativism

Answer 21

3) there is no objective standard that can be used to judge ones society’s code better than another’s

Question 22

claim 4 of cultural relativism

Answer 22

the moral code of our own society has no special status

Question 23

claim 5 to cultural relativism

Answer 23

it is arrogant for us to judge other cultures

Question 24

God decrees what is right & wrong

Answer 24

divine command theory

Question 25

1) we could no longer say the customs of other societies are inferior to our own

Answer 25

practical consequence of cultural relativism (1)

Question 26

2) we can no longer criticize the code of our society

Answer 26

practical consequence of cultural relativism (2)

Question 27

3) the idea of moral progress is called into doubt

Answer 27

practical consequence of cultural relativism (3)

Question 28

(1) different cultures have different moral codes (2) therefore, there is no objective truth in morality. right and wrong are only opinions, which vary from culture to culture

Answer 28

cultural differences argument

Question 29

God decrees what is right and wrong

Answer 29

divine command theory

Question 30

3 practical consequences of of cultural relativism

Answer 30

1) cannot say customs of other societies are inferior to our own 2) cannot criticize code of our society 3) idea of moral progress is called into doubt